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Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is an action-adventure, somewhat puzzle-heavy RPG video game. Initially released by Nintendo in 1993, Link’s Awakening has gained an occult-classic status since its release.
It is available on the GameBoy and Nintendo 3DS in the original form, with the 3DS getting a port. The GameBoy Color received a remake titled Link’s Awakening DX, and the Nintendo Switch got a remaster with small tweaks in the gameplay.
Link’s Awakening doesn’t have a huge cast but has plenty of unique and fun personalities. One of these fun little guys in Link’s Awakening would be Ghost.
Ghost never gets named beyond that simple word. At least not in the actual game. Although the reasons for that are relatively self-explanatory, and it’s a rather direct reference to their character. Because… well, that is what they are! Ghost is a ghost.
Just a Little Guy: Ghost’s Summary
Ghost is introduced and said goodbye to in what essentially amounts to the same breath. Introduced with a main-progression quest shortly after beating Angler’s Tunnel (the fourth dungeon), Ghost also leaves the story fairly quickly—a quick meet-and-greet that ultimately leaves you thinking about the encounter for a while after.
Ghost has Link take them to their humble abode and their grave. After they are taken to their final resting place, Ghost gifts Link a Fairy Bottle.
Forget-Me-Not: Ghost’s… Supernatural Physical Characteristics
Nintendo Switch
Ghost isn’t ever really named or gendered in the game. In the Nintendo Switch version of Link’s Awakening, Ghost is a little pink blob of an entity.
GameBoy and Nintendo 3DS
In both the GameBoy and Nintendo 3DS versions (with the 3DS being a re-release), Ghost is instead white. But they are no less… blob-ey.
GameBoy Color
In the GameBoy Color release of Link’s Awakening (Link’s Awakening DX), Ghost is now orange with blue shadows.
Common Attributes Throughout Releases
Throughout most of the versions, Ghost is round with a small tail. They have little, rounded stumpy arms and black voids for eyes. Classic Nintendo ghost design. The exciting thing about Ghost’s design versus the Classic Nintendo Ghost, though, is Ghost’s little head bobbles.
It looks like, to me, that Ghost has two buns on either side of their head. The official artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening — Nintendo Player’s Guide is displayed in the official artwork as something more reminiscent of pointed and droopy dog-like ears.
Although in the artwork, Ghost looks longer and more squiggly, as a whole. In the games, the… ears.. appear more rounded and, to me at least, reminiscent of space buns.
Yellow Roses: Who is Ghost?
Although Ghost isn’t a very expanded-upon character in Link’s Awakening, we do receive some interaction with them during the main story.
This takes the form of their temporary companionship for the brief sort of… mini-quest that’s part of the main story. I don’t think that Ghost’s brief appearance holds too much weight in the story, with their primary function coming from what I can only describe as a fluff quest. But, regardless of the mundane quality of their brief quest, they are a fun characters to speculate with.
Meeting Ghost
Ghost’s mainline quest features, again, them appearing behind Link to haunt him after Angler’s Tunnel. The primary purpose is to gift Link a Fairy Bottle, hint at a Secret Seashell, and act as a sort of bridge to the fifth dungeon in the game, Catfish’s Maw.
I have usually gained Ghost’s companionship around Kanalet Castle. Depending on your playstyle, this may vary slightly.. Ghost doesn’t allow Link to enter dungeons while they follow him, so their quest is required for story progression.
Taking Ghost Home
They initially ask Link to take them down to their old house. Their house is around the border between Toronbo Shores and Martha’s Bay.
After arriving, Ghost will float about and around the house for a few moments. They’ll remark that the house doesn’t seem to have changed much from when they were alive.
“…Nostalgia…unchanged…”
Ghost will cry a little and tell Link about a Secret Seashell hidden in a pot in the home.
Getting the Seashell
In the original GameBoy version, along with the GameBoy Color and Nintendo 3DS releases, this Seashell is not obtainable in the early game. It only appears after completing enough of this quest to receive Ghost’s prompting about it.
In the Nintendo Switch version, however, this was changed. The Secret Seashell can now be obtained when it is possible to go to Martha’s Bay.
Either way, the Seashell is located in one of the four pots in the house. It’s in the pot closest to the door, up against the wall. It’s still worth it to break the other vases, however. The breakables in Link’s Awakening (including pots and boulders) usually give extra stock items, like bombs, arrows, and magic dust.
Returning To The Grave
Ghost will then request that Link take them to their grave. Their grave is located in Koholint Prairie, near the Graveyard, but not in it. The grave is in Koholint Prairie. After completing Angler’s Tunnel, the easiest way to get there is to get Manbo’s Mambo.
The Mambo allows us to freely teleport to any activated teleportation spot when played on the ocarina. The ocarina is obtained by completing the Dream Shrine in Mabe Village.
The best place to go is the area near Crazy Tracy’s house. Once there, head over to the Graveyard, but take the path at the left, outside of it. Keep going down, and we’ll run into some boulders, toss those, and we’re in a small, enclosed area. Go down, to the left, and finally up, and we’re at Ghost’s grave.
Green grass and pretty purple flowers surround Ghost’s grave. It’s vibrant, bright, and gorgeous. One could almost call it hopeful… It’s a stark difference from the Graveyard, which is dark and gloomy.
I can only assume that maybe Ghost’s grave was barricaded with boulders to try and dissuade the undead from harming it. However, I don’t think the blockage worked as well as intended.
Reward
The reward for completing this mini-mission would be the aforementioned Fairy Bottle. Ghost is satisfied with whatever purpose this little excursion fulfilled for them, giving Link the bottle as a parting gift.
Fairy Bottles are incredibly beneficial items in the Legend of Zelda series throughout the game. They’re used to hold various things throughout the games, although in Link’s Awakening, it’s used primarily for fairies (as the name implies). The fairies are very useful, healing a large amount of health when released, and can save you in the middle of a heated boss fight.
Fan Theories
Groundwork: The Manga
The Link’s Awakening manga by Ataru Cagiva is a frequently used source for fan theories and thought pieces on Link’s Awakening.
Although, it must be mentioned that the manga is not considered canon alongside the game’s content. The manga does often deviate from the game it was based on. An excellent example of this is Link’s previously nonexistent fairy, Felicia.
In regards to Ghost, the manga explains a little more about them. It names them Nakura and explicitly states that Ghost is a boy. The manga gives a reason as to why Nakura decides to follow Link around. By having Nakura save Link from an enemy named Karuna in the manga’s story, Nakura now has a reason to tag behind Link for a while. By the end, Nakura gives Link a better sword.
The Theory Making: NintendoBlackCrisis, YouTube
One of the most prevalent things people reference when crafting their theories about Ghost would be NintendoBlackCrisis’ (NBC) video titled Who is the GHOST of Martha’s Bay? (Zelda Theory). I found this video to be exciting and fun.
NBC utilizes some, but not much, of the lore explored in the manga. NintendoBlackCrisis also decided to utilize Ghost’s name in the manga, Nakura, which I can respect.
It makes things a little easier, at minimum. NBC theorizes that Nakura is a yūrei, a Japanese wandering spirit with unfinished business. Coupling this with the… rather humorous but no less valid theory that Nakura died at Angler’s Tunnel to the dungeon’s boss, Angler Fish.
The Theory Making: henryuuk, Reddit
While scrolling through Google search pages to find interesting theories, I encountered this Reddit thread. The user henryuuk mentions that they have always thought that Ghost was some unfortunate soul who just got trapped.
It’s actually kind of horrifying to think about… If death wasn’t truly the end, and you just got caught up in some odd dreamscape that’s starting to crumble, would you not also tag along with the kid that caused the instability? I know that I likely would, especially when I think that immortality of any kind is more of a curse than a blessing. If you think about it beyond the surface level, it really is a curse…
Gladiolus: Ghost’s Quotes and Relationships
Quotes
Ghost’s speech tends to be broken up and disjointed. It’s slow and often comes in multiple speech bubbles or text boxes. I think it adds to Ghost’s creepy-but-cute charm.
- …the house..take me…the house…at the bay…
- …Here! Enter…my house…
- …Nostalgia…unchanged…
- …Enough…cemetery…
- …Take me…my grave…
- …my grave…take me…my grave…with the flowers…
- …Thank you…a jar…for you….bye…bye…
Relationships
Ghost’s only relationship displayed in Link’s Awakening is with Link. Even if the relationship between Ghost and Link isn’t exactly deep, much less explored… I find it sweet, although maybe more of the bitter variety.
They follow Link around to have him help them get closure for their life, as unknown as that is.
Almond Flowers: Conclusion
In the end, Ghost smiles, thanks Link for his aid, and passes on peacefully. The time we knew Ghost was short and bittersweet, but it’s nice to see that they ultimately left the world happy.
My Own Theory Making
Personally, I initially thought when I was first playing through the game that Ghost was named Martha… Before I learned that Martha’s Bay is actually named after the mermaid you meet. I think that’s a pretty common mistake, however.
Perhaps I can get away with saying that Ghost was Martha’s lover who passed tragically after getting too heated with the Angler Fish. Maybe Ghost was nothing of the sort and more like a sibling to Martha and the other mermaids who passed suddenly and tragically.
Or perhaps, Ghost was an exile from Mabe Village, although I doubt that one. I don’t think that Ghost was anyone hated in their life, despite being exiled from the community Graveyard. Their grave is pretty and nice, so I don’t believe that they had anyone who despised them.
So, along that thread, maybe Ghost was Richard’s father. We do know that Richard was a prince before fleeing, and we meet Ghost shortly after completing Angler’s Cave, which requires a sub-quest from Richard to be completed. This also falls in line with the fact, for me at least, that Ghost always appears around Kanalet Castle, Richard’s previous place of residence.
Link’s Awakening Ghost Guide: FAQs
Question: What house does the ghost want to go to in Link’s Awakening?
Answer: Ghost wants to go to the house by the bay. The house is near the border of Toronbo Shores and Martha’s Bay, and we can see it by getting close to the border where the boulders are.
Question: How do you get to the ghost grave in Link’s Awakening?
Answer: The easiest way to do this is with Manbo’s Mambo. After playing the song, teleport to Crazy Tracy and head down to the Graveyard. Take the path off to the left side, and enter the area blocked off with boulders. Throw those into oblivion, and enter the small area; the grave is relatively easy to find from here.
Question: Who is the ghost in Link’s Awakening?
Answer: The Ghost never gets a canon identity in Link’s Awakening. There are theories based on the Link’s Awakening manga by Ataru Cagiva, which adds some lore to Ghost. The manga names the ghost Nakura and explains that he’s a former soldier.